R&B performer Carl Thomas — "discovered" by and signed
to his first record deal by Sean "Diddy" Combs in the mid-90s — will appear at "The Red
Carpet Affair" on Valentine's Day in Slidell.

"You don't have to have a date," stressed event promoter
Dwayne Mills, of G.Y.E. Entertainment. "There will also be singles there ... you
might find your soul mate."

Mills said the staging for Thomas' show will be intimate,
and "set up like a living room."

Thomas is best known for his R&B single "I Wish," which
appeared on his Billboard Top 20 album, "So Emotional." The song sat at the top of
the R&B charts for six weeks in late 1999. The number was later sampled by
hip-hop star Jay-Z for the song "I Just Wanna Love You (Give It To Me)," which
also featured Pharrell Williams.

Thomas received a Grammy Award nomination — alongside Chaka
Khan, and others — for his contribution to the song "Everyday (Family
Reunion)," from the soundtrack of Tyler Perry's "Madea's Family Reunion."

Thomas' website describes the singer as the once "protege" of Combs, who saw Thomas sing at an open-mic night and signed him as "the first heartthrob R&B songster" of Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment record label.

"It's going to be a special event," said Mills, who organized
a similar show last year for Valentine's Day. He said the show — which has a
strict dress code of no sneakers, hats, jeans, or white t-shirts — drew a
middle-aged crowd last year, and he expects the same for 2014.

"The crowd is 35-plus," said Mills. "There's often nothing
to do in Slidell for an older crowd. It's not just a party ... it's an event."

"The Red Carpet Affair" — presented by G.Y.E. Entertainment — will feature Thomas with additional performances by Slidell-based R&B performer
LynC with the band SpeakerBoxx. Also appearing will be Slidell's DJ CC.

The show will take place on Friday (Feb. 14) at 8 p.m. at
the Slidell Municipal Auditorium, 2056 Second St. in Slidell. Tickets are $30 at the
door or $35 in advance. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com or in person at Mr.
Wendell's Barber Shop and Salon (2484 Florida St., Mandeville, 70448) or Geo's
Real Cutts (2859 Carey St., Slidell, 70458). For more information, contact
G.Y.E Entertainment at 985.774.0764.